This story is part of CT Mirror Explains, an ongoing effort to distill our wide-ranging reporting into a "what you need to know" format and provide practical information to our readers.

At the start of a new school year, the number of children reporting severe mental health needs increases. Many face anxiety and stress as they transition back to a daily school schedule. 

For Connecticut families with children in need of mental health care, urgent crisis centers offer emergency treatment. UCCs aim to support children experiencing mental health crises by providing access to treatment and support.

Here’s what you need to know about these centers and what they can do for kids. 

What is an urgent crisis center?

Urgent crisis centers are state funded, privately operated facilities that offer treatment for children with emergency mental health needs. They function as an alternative to hospital emergency departments, enabling children to stay in their homes during treatment as opposed to inpatient hospital care.

They are equipped to handle crises such as thoughts of suicide or self-harm, feelings of depression or anxiety, substance misuse and more. However, they are not emergency departments equipped to provide immediate medical attention. For medical emergencies, the centers direct families to call 911 or visit the nearest hospital. 

For children and teens aged 18 and under, the centers’ trained staff work to deescalate mental health crises, complete evaluations and connect youth to services. Most forms of insurance are accepted across the centers. Around half of the children treated at UCCs in Connecticut have Medicaid insurance.

To serve residents of more rural areas of Connecticut, the urgent crisis centers also work with emergency mobile crisis intervention services, also referred to by providers as mobile crisis centers, which bring similar services to children’s homes, to ensure that immediate mental health needs are addressed. 

How do you access them?

There are four locations in Connecticut: Hartford, New Haven, New London and Waterbury. They operate as walk-ins and provide immediate access to mental health resources. There are 72 daily slots at each center and no appointments are needed. 

In Hartford, families can visit The Village for Families and Children. On Monday through Friday, they are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.. On Saturday and Sunday, they are open from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. 

In New Haven, families can visit Yale New Haven Hospital. Emergency medical care for children is also offered at all times at each Emergency Department and urgent care facility across the Yale New Haven Health System.

In New London, families can visit The Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut. They are open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.. 

In Waterbury, families can visit the Wellmore Behavioral Health, a nonprofit that operates the crisis center. To make a referral or get help, the center advises families to call 1-855-WELLMORE. 

How successful have they been?

In 2022, state legislation established UCCs in response to increased demand for mental health care, citing a spike in youth suicides since the pandemic. They began operating the following year. Since opening, thousands of children have visited these centers, and over 95% of visitors have been able to return home after their visit without going to the emergency room. 

“That is a phenomenal success rate. It’s a success rate we don’t see in most other services that we provide,” said Hector Glynn, chief executive officer at The Village for Families & Children.

Parents whose children have received treatment at the centers have said they were pleased with the support the UCCs offer. “They will take care of your child. It’s become our safe haven,” Lisa Paradis, a parent whose daughter has received treatment at the crisis centers, said last month.

How are they sustained?

Despite favorable outcomes, the future of UCCs and mobile crisis centers is threatened by a lack of funding. 

Funding for UCCs mainly relies on allocations in the state budget through Medicaid. But about half of the clients the centers see aren’t covered under Medicaid, meaning the centers can’t access much of that money. Plus, private insurance typically has lower reimbursement rates than Medicaid. Many privately insured patients also have high-deductible health care plans and can’t pay fees. When they can’t pay, the nonprofits write off the debt.

The mobile crisis program got about $8.6 million in fiscal year 2027, but nothing in fiscal year 2026, which began July 1. This summer, state officials were considering looking for unspent COVID relief money to carry the centers through the end of the year and “braid any other additional funding that may be needed” to sustain their operations through 2027.

The centers are looking to explore policy changes with lawmakers to alleviate the financial burden.